Stuffed acorn squash

So far I’ve mostly posted things I make to keep everyday life with a baby running smoothly. Today, I’d like to post something a little different that is an absolute necessity for keeping me running smoothly – a healthy dinner recipe! I made this for my husband last night, and he ate the whole thing without complaining that it was 90% vegetable, or that there was no side of rice with it, and was even considering using the leftover filling to stuff peppers with! When he actually suggests eating vegetables, that is a successful day in our house, since he typically eats like a 12 year old unless I do the cooking!

So, here’s what you’ll need for this recipe:

1 acorn squash (or several bell peppers if you prefer)

1lb ground beef

1 onion

2-4 cloves garlic, depending on your personal preferences

1 14oz can of chopped tomatoes

8 oz mushrooms (whichever type you prefer)

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tbsp each ground cumin, ground coriander and dried oregano (or fresh if you have it)

A splash of red wine and balsamic vinegar (optional but adds a nice flavor)

2-3 tbsp chopped pecans (or walnuts, or whatever nut you like)

To cook:

Roast the squash whole at 350 F for about 45 minutes or until it’s tender enough to slice in half. Scoop out the seeds and slice a tiny piece off of the bottom so that it stays level.

Sautee the onions in olive oil or your cooking oil of choice for about 20 minutes over a low heat, until they’ve gone from white… to this lovely caramel color… I’ll be honest, since the baby was asleep, I used this step as my opportunity to go take a shower – you really do want to cook them for that long.

Turn the heat up to medium and add the ground beef. Cook until almost brown, then add the garlic and the mushrooms. Once the meat has fully browned and the mushrooms have softened, add the rest of the ingredients.

Cover and simmer for as long as you can (ideally at least an hour). Pile the filling into the squash (depending on the size of your squash, this might actually give you enough to fill 2 of them), top with the pecans and put it back in the oven for about 30 minutes.